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September 27, 2008

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The mild consensus in the press file was that McCain won, if not in particularly dramatic fashion. The two insta-polls out -- from CBS and CNN -- found the opposite: That Obama won by a wide margin. CBS had it 39% to 25% for Obama, CNN 51% to 38%.

Maybe the difference was expectations. People covering the campaigns think of Obama as a much-improved debate, and McCain as at times a weak one. McCain, by that standard, overperformed. But people tuning into the race now now think of McCain as an experienced hand, and Obama as a newcomer. Obama more than held his own, and McCain failed to expose him -- as he tried -- as out of his depth.

UPDATE: It is worth noting, as CNN does, that there's a big Democratic voter ID edge in its poll.

Ben...of course the media elites and talking head pundits think McCain "won" the debate, while regular Americans think otherwise. The media is interested in soundite zingers and dramtic crap, while Americans were actually listening to the differences in ideas and philosophy between the two candidates. You sound surprised.

No, it wasn't the mild consensus in the press... it was the mild consensus at Politico that McCain won that debate. Honestly, I would put advantage Obama by maybe 5%. However, I couldn't believe the pro-McCain stories on the mainpage all stating McCain had won it. "The Mac is Back" "McCain demonstrated his leadership and expertise" These may be opinion points, but these are all pro-McCain statements and they add up.

Debates are about 2 things: (1) does anyone make any big blunders; and (2) which guy do you want to listen to in your living room for the next for years. No big blunders. Obama much more appealing, commanding. Hence, the polls....

McCain never looked at Obama. Most importantly, McCain never really looked at the future and only talked about the past. McCain has failed veterans and then said he would take care of them. Senator Obama was strong, was smart and stood up for the middle class. So yes, independent voters gave this to Obama. BTW - ABC gave it to Obama.

Mommy, I don't want that grumpy man with the fake, angry smile afraid to make eye contact with the other guy to be in charge. Please! He will also bring his stupid uneducated friend from Alaska with him. Please! Save America. I'm scared.

Both candidates did a good job. Neither one gave a knock out blow. But I think McCain did an excellent job appealing to independent voters. He did not allow Obama to pin him down as being Bush 2.0, he seemed more mature and not quite as hyper as Obama.

Debates are not going to dramatically change voters' minds. Ask John Kerry! He won all 3 and lost to bush by 3. I think McCain won on substance, but Obama on style. Unfortunately, we live in a society where style counts for a lot.

Halperin is inside the beltway and he scored it as a win for Obama. I also just watched the round table at CNN and they seemed to lean toward Obama as a group. By the way, women overwhelmingly went for Obama in the CNN poll, while they were basically tied among men.

This is not good news for McCain. he needed a win badly and didn't get it. I am willing to be a little more generous toward mccain than the folks being polled, I considered it a draw, no clear winner, no huge mistakes by either candidate. I think this was the moment Obama proved himself to the undecided voters and they are quietly moving toward Obama and are giving him the benefit of the doubt tonigh and therefor the win. Point Obama.

Nothing new as to who people say won. fOXNEWS INSTANT POLL HAD IT 82 PERCENT FOR MCCAIN 16 PERCENT FOR OBAMA. These polls are meaningless unless the result are people who not bias to one or the other. I am impressed however that the supposedly experts THE PRESS FELT MCCAIN WON AND who I also think won handily.

It is amazing to me how much both sides try to swing things there way. If you are going to show the results of two of the most in-obama camps, then be fair and show some that are more to the center like drudge that shows McCain 68 - Obama 30 and Fox that is currently McCain 80 - Obama 18. I am so tired of the partisonship.

Just watched the debates... thought McCain did better than I anticipated. Thought Obama showed a clear understanding of the issues regarding national security and foreign policy and did good job getting across the idea that he understands these issues much better than the McCain campaign has given him credit for.
Thought Obama came across better overall, but McCain showed some mettle by not resorting completely to GOP talking points (although he had his moments). Thought McCain wound up the debate stronger than Obama by getting in some good hits that went unanswered by Obama (like a cagey boxer, McCain understood how to go out with a flurry of punches to leave that as the final impression for the judges.)
I don't think either came close to a knockout punch. McCain wasn't able to make Obama look weak on national security or foreign policy and Obama wasn't able to make McCain look feeble minded and out of touch.
Final verdict... draw.

You retards! The Fox News poll is a text messaging poll. It isn't scientific. It just shows that a lot of hillbillies won't give a dime to the country but have no problem giving 2 bucks in texting fees to Rupert Murdoch. You dummies.

Obama won closely on points I think. On style he won big. McCain was snide and contemptuous of Obama. Obama was likable. On the issue of who was out of his depth, there was one candidate who couldn't properly pronounce the names of the leaders of Iran and Pakistan and who falsely claimed that Pakistan was a failed state in 1999 when Musharraf took over in a coup, and my friends, that candidate was not Barack Obama.

Everyone sees things drifferent, i didn't see to much tonight, same as it's been, no matter what people have already picked and when that night comes we'll no who, neither one does to much for me, so who knows.

it's funny that the mcCainiacs are so much more e-savvy than their fossil candidate and his barbie-doll VP. wow, you trolls are out in force tonight. too bad you all are better at constructing sentences than poor Palin.

McCain has a mastery of the issues. Obama sounded like he had crammed for an important exam. McCain effectively attacked Obama's weaknesses, for example, Obama's initial weak response to Russia's invasion of Georgia. Obama was clearly rattled. He was smiling nervously, as if he were embarrassed.

So funny how all you repubs just talk about foreign policy and never mention the economy. THAT is the #1 issue in America. Admit it. This war helped drain us and many of you racists just want another white guy as pres b/c you'll never vote for a black guy.

This was a tie. Mccain did better with foreign policy, due mostly to his experience. Obama fared better with the economy. I really thought Mccain had to do extremely well tonight, but the performance was not much better than Obama.

Obama clearly won the debate. He showed a greater depth of knowledge on the foreign policy points which are supposed to be McCain's strong suit and he exuded an overall presidential demeanor. McCain looked ****ed once Obama started scoring real points. Even repulican strategist Alex Castellanos scored it for Obama.

I thought it was a pretty interesting debate. I cant believe McCain would have swayed any middle class or working class voters his way due to the fact that he did not mention them. I thought Obama certainly held his own and was calm and collected the whole time. Obama talked about bringing our country forward while McCain talked about the Surge and pork barrel spending. He also had to bring in the fact that he was a Maverick. Me and my friends cant help but laugh when we hear these things. How can you argue so much about the surge when its over and we still haven't won the war?

The reason why much of the punditry that follows the debate is inaccurate or irrelevant is that many of the people involved are far more interested in shaping the outcome of the debate than reflecting it. In their heads, they know McCain won, but they can't say that.

Ok, all you cry babies that said McCain would not look Obama in the eyes. Good God did you see his eyes at times, they where popping out of his head because he was so mad, Can't blame McCain for not wanting to see that. I am a Independent and I'm sure McCain kicked his butt.

Is Ben serious? CBS and CNN? Why dont you report on the poll from Daily Kos? Obama forgot the name on the bracelet he used as a stunt. Obama almost cried on the preconditions discussion and drudge will link the Kissinger response which was to refute Obama entirely.
You all are too stupid (political hack "reporters") to point out what really happened that was most significant and that is that McCain over and over and over to the disgust of his base, praised Ted K, he praised his work with Clinton on Climate Change, he praised Lieberman for the 9/11 commission. Obama said he worked on two bills with the GOP in response and it was weak.

The debate showed whether tough talk or careful consideration is the strength. McCain's policies are out-dated, I think Obama has to take a leap of faith and trust that Americans will not be put-off because he sounds smarter and is smarter than McCain. As a democrat, I remember that John Kerry did alot better in 2004 in foreign policy debate and lost the election.

I think the fact that the trolls are here talking garbage instead of anything substantive shows they have nothing to say about McCain's performance. Obama won. In 2000 Al Gore won on points in the instapolls but lost because people kept harping on his sighing. This time McCain lost on the polls AND lost on his style as well. Not good on what was supposed to be his best topic. I guess he can look forward to Palin's debate and his debate on the economy to boost his candidacy?

Could there be any clearer picture of how out-of-touch the media is? And this is nothing new. They repeatedly gave the edge to Hillary over Barack as well even though the polls showed him winning handily.

McCain won? That's absurd. He was condescending, he looked like he was being buffeted by a strong wind, and he looked liked like he was taking the whole thing personally. He lost on points, too. Obama was completely in his face, but in a way that wouldn't offend anyone.

I"m a Obama supporter I think both of the guys did a good job. McCain didn't look stunned and out of touch and Obama didn't let McCain lead him around by the nose on foreign policy. The reason most polls say they either tied or Obama won is cause the poll was set low for Obama cause of his bad debates with Hillary. This was a totally different guy. Obama talked in clear answers got his point across. Seem respectful and very much in touch with how the issues work. He's extremely bright. It shines every time he talks.

During the presidential debate, John McCain humbly mentioned wearing a bracelet in honor of a dead soldier and promptly shared the name of that soldier with us. Then Obama did something I found absolutely appalling. Obama said, "I gotta bracelet too, it's uh, uh,..." and then he had to look down to read the name on the bracelet because he could not remember who the soldier was. As a military wife of a war veteran, this relayed clearly to me that Obama wears the bracelet bearing a dead soldier's name as a political prop with no thought of the individual who made the ultimate sacrifice in giving his life in service to our country. I sincerely hope the American public sees Obama's awful, heartless disrespect to the military shown over and over again in an internet or TV clip so the media can't ignore it in their quest to bury Obama's blunders.

Many in the media are always judging on sensationalistic points, like who's the meanest, etc. Well, on that score, McCain proved himself to be best at being a jerk, and trying to manipulate people's emotions with his trite overused gibberish. Obama came across as far more intelligent, poised, and presidential.

Fox & Drudge polls both show McCain winning handily. Of course Fox has a much larger viewing audience than CNN or CBS news. Barry just proved that he isn't man enough to be the leader of Greatest Country on Earth. Go McCain - Country First

Obama will say, do and promise anything to get elected. 95% of the country will get a tax cut, but wait 40 % of the country doesn't pay taxes. How does that work. So you are giving my hard earned money to people as welfare payment???????

These polls tell us only about the demographics of their viewers. The "seeking confirming evidence bias" is clearly pervasive in the information age. Makes sense I guess, with so much more competition for our attention the only way these networks can survive is by targeting. News is now nothing more than a way to push ads.

Several posters above mentioned Fox and Drudge polls. Sorry, but Fox and Drudge have no credibility at all.
Obama won because he communicated better how he would govern instead of just trying to score points, like McCain. It played well with voters, in general, and especially with undecided voters. Score one for Obama.

Did most of these posters even watch this debate? Obama gave a strong performance tonight while McCain held his own. At best it was a tie, and that's a loss for McCain if he can only get a tie out of a FOREIGN POLICY debate!

McCain keeps telling us how he's so great at ''reaching across the aisle" and reaching bipartisan consensus. Tonight's debate exposed him as contentious, argumentative, and incapable of even looking Barack in the eye. Obama on the other hand showed the voters that he is a man of knowledge, strength, honor, diplomacy, and graciousness. We couldn't hope for a better leader.

Obama seemed more presidential and stood toe to toe on foreign policy. So count it a win for him.
But why isn't anybody asking why in the hell he didn't mention that McCain's Iraq policy is to stay indefinitely. He does this on the trail and surely a repeated refrain "John McCain has NO plan to get us out of Iraq. Even President Bush is now interested in my plans for a timeline. The only person who isn't is John McCain."
Why
Why
Why

McCain needed a knockout on his home turf and he didn't get it. Foreign policy is his strong suit,and Obama held his own. Now it will shift to Health care,and the economy. McCain needed a game changer. Advantage Obama. Don't forget to watch the VP debate in St. Louis.....LOL!!!

Whay was McCain so condescending?
On many occasions he talked down on Obama ("You don't know the difference between tactic and strategy". As if there is any, according to Merriam-Webster's). That was dumb of him. Obama remained polite throughout the debate, and held his ground on issues that traditionally belonged to McCain's turf.
So, Obama continues to rise, and will continue to win.

My take is the debate was pretty even, though I'd give a slight edge to Obama because he seemed more in control and did not try to talk all over McCain, which is what McCain did several times. Also, this was supposed to be McCain's strong suit, yet Obama stood toe to toe with him on every point. Some in the media are trying to make an issue of Obama saying "I agree with Senator McCain..." etc, which is juvenile. I find it ironic that the same people in McCain's camp who are in the "spin room" claiming Obama does not believe in bipartisanship are also playing up Obama agreeing with McCain on an issue as a negative thing for Obama.
Not this time...Obama '08.

"As a military wife of a war veteran, this relayed clearly to me that Obama wears the bracelet bearing a dead soldier's name as a political prop with no thought of the individual who made the ultimate sacrifice in giving his life in service to our country."
I mean no disrespect, but if it wasn't a political prop for McCain, too, he wouldn't have mentioned it at all. Yes, Obama stumbled there, but be fair. McCain was using it for political gain just as much as Obama was.

You've got to be kidding! Obama clearly won. McCain seemed old and like a one-issue candidate: war. He has no overall vision for the country. In spite of his youth relative to McCain, Obama came off as the more mature person.

All i am left remembering is that Mccain could not look Obama in the eye and that McCain made weird faces and flicked out his tongue a lot. ewww. Mccain seemed kind of scary to me. Crazy even.
Obama stood his ground and seemed honest. Mccain could not even look him in the eye and kept looking down like he was shamed for not being truthful. that stuck with me more than anything. It seems so simple.. when they both said so much.. but in the end.. it's those small things that stick with you. Odd, but true.

Why Obama Won the First Debate with John McCain
It's very simple: the election will be won by the votes of the undecided.
Undecided voters overwhelmingly view the election in the following terms:
They don't want to vote for McCain, but they feel very comfortable doing so
Conversely,
They want to vote for Obama, but they don't feel very comfortable doing so
So ask yourself the following questions:
Do you think Obama made undecided voters feel more comfortable voting for him tonight? If so, what percentage of them?
Do you think John McCain made undecided voters want to vote for him tonight? If so, what percentage of them?
Debate goes to Obama, no question

I think Barack Obama came off as eloquent and thoughtful ,in contrast McCain came off like a troll. he was grumpy and angry and he kept smirking. all I kept thinking was Keating 5 every time I looked at him. And he really opened up a can of worms when he said that Obama wasn't experienced enough and wasn't qualified enough to make the right decisions.I can't wait until Oct.2nd. Thats when the vice presidential debate is on .

If egobama is going to quote Henry Kissinger, he should get it right!!!! McCain wins hands down. Obama was on the defensive all night. i wish both would have talked about the economy in more detail, but in politics they never give details for fear the media will tear them apart...... Therefore, we must vote on trust, experience and good judgment. MCCAIN/PALIN 2008

bennintn- I agree! Unfortunately, several of us decided to make a drinking game out of the debate and everytime McCain mentioned POW, my friends, he just doesn't get it; the surge and then someone added McCain's grimaces to the game - we had to drink.. Is that all McCain said and did because we're all wasted?

I believe Senator McCain won tonight. What struck me as odd, was that Obama tonight at the debate said that ?six years ago I stood up and opposed the war?? Where did he stand up and oppose the war at? In the Illinois state senate? A lot of good that did... He was elected to the US Senate in November 2004. The way he said it in response to Senator McCain?s remarks made it seem that he voted against the war as a sitting US Senator when it started in March 2003.

ynot-I think you hit the nail on the head. Obama is ALWAYS going to look like a little boy who is too animated to begin with for a debate like this, and it is worse for him standing next to staid and steady McCain who looks like the sage of the ages.

Neither candidate was outstanding in this debate. I was surprised at how well John McCain did. His responses were articulate and he did not appear to be elderly nor uninformed as he has in the past. Sen. Obama did not disappoint, however he conceded too many points to Sen. McCain. By the way, why did Obama call McCain Tom and Jim. Is it just me or does it seem he was trying to instigate an outburts from Sen. McCain?

If the media thinks John McCain won, then, of course, John McCain won. Right? That seems to be how things worked for the VP selection? If the media thinks McCain flubbed his VP choice, then, of course, McCain flubbed in their eyes. Can I actually raise an incredibly banal point? If Obama thinks we need to do something different in Afghanistan, isn't he the one to make that happen--as the subchairman of European Affairs? Can't he just hold another meeting? Or a semi-first meeting? Actually, I think at this point the most recent meeting between Pakistani and American officials is represented by the meeting between Palin and Zardari.

I think people are probably responding to the fact that McCain couldn't look at Obama, even when Obama was addressing him directly, and McCain seemed to be looking to the moderator to help him. It made McCain look weak. He also looked really irritated and was snorting indignantly while Obama was talking, which made it seem like Obama was getting under his skin.

cport | September 27, 2008 at 12:08 AM: They did a FOX News focus group. They thought Obama won too. So, it's not just a "liberal media bias." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wup4nsIWe8A&eurl=http://www.jedreport.com/2008/09/debate-open-thread.html?disqus_reply=2654359

Obama said one thing that told me what a Socialist he is. "It is not a good deal for the American people. But it's an example of this notion that the market can always solve everything and that the less regulation we have, the better off we're going to be." In other words, more Government control. He also says that if your realize the American dream of success, you should be punished with higher taxes.

Obama just does not do well without a teleprompter and a planed speach!! The low point was when he did'nt even know the name of that soldier that died, he had to read it of the braclet*** that was kind of pathetic looking!!

Ha - now die hard repubs are questioning every single poll? Find one, besides Foxrepublican news (which even leaned toward Obama), that found McCain to be the winner. If Repubs had quoted MSNBC, I might agree that they favored Obama, but CNN???? CBS??? McCain should have won, hands down. He couldn't even hold his own on foreign affairs. Even those that have a love affair with McCain couldn't defend him properly.

Obama is too polite to the point of being weird. Was he gay at some point in his life. He spent the entire night answering to McCain's accusations. He has a lot of good ideas -- actually better than any politician that I know. But he is not a real person. He is too robotic and controlled. Hillary was mopping the floor with him before he manged to come up with his own line of attack instead of responding to her charges. Basically, Americans have been very nice and sympathetic to him. I really want to know if he has any friends outside of work where he shows the real side of him, if has one (not the stuttering, hesitant, fa*ot side.) Why is he scared of everyone -- the media, his colleagues (senators), the audience, etc.? He is too down to earth to the point that Jimmy Charter would look like in charge and sure of himself in comparison. Obama comes across as someone who is not sure of himself. What a wimp!

I was surprised McCain did so well because he's not exactly charming. However, to say that he won is a stretch.
McCain keeps bringing up the point that he wants to win in Iraq before leaving. My question is, What exactly are we winning? I CAN tell you,however, what we ARE losing each day we stay there.
I can't wait until the vice-presidential debate. It'll be interesting to hear what Palin has to say. Will she actually answer the questions? Maybe she'll tell the moderator that she'll look up the answer and bring it back at another time.

Wow - reading these posts is quite interesting. Those repubs love McCain and those demos love Obama. But the election will not be decided by either die hard repubs or die hard dems. It will be decided by undecided voters. McCain did not appeal to undecided voters on this debate. McCain seemed to aggressively attack without substance. Obama seemed to be trying to make a case for his position. We'll see in the next debates.

McCain seemed shaky, meandering and weak to me. I thought Obama owned him by comparing earmarks to tax giveaways for the rich. He would start off with some emotive principled line and then end in some petty attack Rick Davis jotted down in his prep book somewhere. I think the pundits are still judging this race too much on the basis of past races, particularly the last two. I think people are wary of the old GOP style---damn the facts and grab the audience by the gonads. This was not entertainment for most folks. If I had to ask which one would do more for people like me, a single parent with two kids and two jobs, I'd have to say Obama. I think most people like me will too.

The consensus in the press? McCain was no less brutal than Sarah Palin answering questions posed by Couric. Obama looked prepared, ready, and dare I say "Presidential," while McCain looked at best like a bumbling idiot.

McCain seemed angry, uncomfortable, and defensive. Obama landed the hardest punches, but in the most gentlemanly, innocuous way. A few of them were real hits and zingers. And any time Barack agreed with McCain, he followed it with a hard attack.
One example: "And, John, I -- you're absolutely right that presidents have to be prudent in what they say. But, you know, coming from you, who, you know, in the past has threatened extinction for North Korea and sung songs about bombing Iran, I don't know how credible that is."
If its about prudence, judgment, temperament, or intellect, then Obama won the debate. Its true, though, that McCain managed to be crankier. But that's not exactly how I'd measure victory.

Obama was more Presidential. McCain could not even look Obama in the eye. What a coward he is! Also he kept saying Obama doesnt understand, very rude patronizing and downright OLDD. McCain was very much the past while Obama had a strong grip on the future.

You people are idiots. Here arefacts on the accuracy of the polls:
Fox News and Drudge do unscientific polls that require voters to go through their site or text them with their votes. Obviously the majority of Fox and Drudge readers/viewers are going to vote for McCain much like a HuffPo poll if there was one would show strong support for Obama.
The polls done by CNN and CBS were much more taditional scientific polls taken from a national base of voters more representative of the population as a whole.
I'm not saying Obama definitely won but its obvious that a lot of independent unbiased voters did.

I love the way that people are talking about "style". if you dislike one canadate then you most likely find him anoying, so of corse you are going to think of them as less "stylish". Why not focus on the issues?

smartgirl is obviously not a smart girl if she thinks Obama has class. Did you see the way he smirked every time McCain spoke? Not to mention that he referred to McCain as "John", not Senator McCain. Classless.

Repubs are a laugh a minute. In what way did Obama get "schooled". You are just like McCain in the debates - "Obama does not have my experience" but backed it up with NO examples. At least Obama talked with actuals vs. words. Keep talking this debate up to yourselves, Repubs. Maybe after the elections you can also say that the people who have voted don't matter and pretend that McCain is your president. Then you can have 3 wars to support and send YOUR kids to war - b/c mine aren't going.
BTW - the sob story about the woman that gave McCain the bracelet. While touching, we DO NOT FIGHT wars b/c one woman says we have to for her son. That is emotional, not executive.

I'm Canadian so I'm watching this with some objectivity. I thought Obama looked presidential, in control of the facts. He outlined his positions strategically with vision. McCain seemed cranky, would not look at Obama and seemed to be relying on the discredited past rather than speaking with a vision of the future

I love all the rethug trolls trying to say they are insta-click polls. They are not. They are scientific polls, not web ones like the Fox News one people are touting. Go cry yourself to sleep, Obama won in the eyes of the viewers.

I loved the way Obama communicated to and educated the viewers. This is the approach he has taken throughout the campaign. He is not into spinning. He is not into playing "gotchya". He is into honest communication about problems and his ideas for solutions. That played well with me, and I was thrilled to see that it played well with voters in general.
I can finally see potential to move past this horrible period of partisanship and politicizing of everything. Finally, we may get a government that is serious about governing. Thank You Barack!

I think McCain looked more confidant, but the bracelet thing made me gasp. Obama raised his hand and said hey I have one too, like it was a fashion accessory. Obama is missing a sensitivity chip, I was horrified when he said that.

I don't know where you get your "mild consensus" from. The only journalists I saw on cable tv seemed to agree with their viewers unless paid to do otherwise. I'm not saying you are, Ben, but you could reference such a whole-cloth assertion a bit more. And who is it that saw Obama going into this with the advantage? Every pundit I heard said it was McCain's night to lose. Like Letterman said, something smells.

McCain seemed tired and didn't really score any really big points, and he didn't mention that the so-called "bailout" of Wall Street was government spending (something he is supposedly against). Obama only fared slightly better.

McCain did not address the future of America enough in the debate. He focussed on his percieved success in Iraq and Obama's lack of experience. McCain has experience, but lacks solid construction in his campaign and that will hurt him with "swing voters". McCain is not consistent in his message and actions during this campaign. He is a great Senator, but is not showing the leadership needed for a President.

The press are wrong on this one, and should listen to the undecided voters...
Besides, I've seen McCain debate, and Obama debate... and McCain is a much better debater than speaker. Why the press wouldn't take this into account, I don't know...
I think part of it is that the press behave, usually unconciously, as a kind of equalizer when things are starting to lean too much to one side or another... but the fact is, things are starting to lean heavily in Obama's favor for all the right reasons.
He's clearly a man with a destiny, poised on the right side of history.

Senator Obama demonstrated why he would make a far better president than John McCain. Obama is very knowledgeable, empathetic and light years ahead. I'm sure that is the direct result of "all that book learnin" that the republicans seem to despise.

Let's just talk "strategy" vs. "tactic" for a second as well.... Strategy would be something like "Iraq is able to police their own country on their own dime with little violence in 2 years." Tactic would be "Let's send a bunch of troops in to bribe insurgents to work with us." McCain doesn't know the difference. The surge would be a tactic to our overall strategy of handing over the reigns to Iraq. Therefore, Obama was correct. We have not won on our strategy, yet. We have one tactical move.
Fiorina was correct - a CEO would know this.

Regardless of who won the debate tonight, can we all agree that we're screwed as a nation right now? We have the same people who caused the financial crisis to happen trying to fix it. Does any reasonable person trust Pelosi, Reid, Barney Frank and Chris Dodd anymore?

I don't have any confidence in polls. All of them are unscientific and predictable. They only reflect the opinions of whomever is conducting them. I never tell the pollsters who I am really voting for.
Obama's arrogance was shining through tonight, he was smug and disrespectful the entire evening. Every time he called McCain "John" my skin crawled. McCain is far from his friend so he should have treated him accordingly.

The highlight of the evening for me was watching McCain take Barry apart on Iraq. I especially liked the part where McCain honed in on Barry's only talking point on Iraq--"I didn't vote for it originally"! McCain brilliantly pointed out that the past is irrelevant--the next president has to deal with the now, not the past! Nice try though Barry! Get ready folks, the liberal smear machine will be going into high gear this weekend! Gotta protect Barry with more gotcha questions and incest stories! We don't want the American people to continue to focus on Barry Obama's unfitness for command--his empty suitedness! Next up: Palin to kick Biden's sorry ass back to the stone age so he can watch TV with cro-magnon man!

Actually, It's a Senator To You... Obama didn't call McCain John all of the time. There were times when he called him Jim. Ha ha ha ha ha. I would have just called him Old Fart if I were on stage - which is a good reason for me not to run for president.

Very simple.
Two things are going to remain in the minds of voters.
-Mc Cain's disrespectful attitude
-And Obama's "you were wrong!"
Target : Indepedents and Women
And that's why Obama will benefit more from the debate.

'Kissinger Unhappy About Obama'
Henry Kissinger believes Barack Obama misstated his views on diplomacy with US adversaries and is not happy about being mischaracterized. He says: "Senator McCain is right. I would not recommend the next President of the United States engage in talks with Iran at the Presidential level. My views on this issue are entirely compatible with the views of my friend Senator John McCain. We do not agree on everything, but we do agree that any negotiations with Iran must be geared to reality."

Its obvious that we all had our preconceptions confirmed. Aside from that what I saw was two very intelligent and committed men: one old man, way past his prime, boasting and even lying about his past and a younger man, in his prime, full of energy and ideas in synch with this new century. Have you thought about how much energy and persistence it will take to sort out the mess we are in and find solutions to correct the total mess created in the past eight years? And if McCain got the job and collapsed do you think Palin could take over? Now that would be a learning curve!

I don't trust any of these polls, they are all predictable and only reflect the opinions of the people doing the polling. I never tell the pollsters who I am voting for.
Obama's arrogance shone through tonight. He was smug, rude and condescending, and had no right to refer to McCain as "John." He is not his friend.

I think Obama had more measured and thoughtful responses. He gave Senator McCain his due when they agreed on issues and gave him proper credit when appropriate. That made him seem more reasonable and intelligent. McCain seemed timid and rehearsed. He seemed hardly in a debate.
On a side note, Senator McCain treated the moderator as if he were an interviewer. Senator McCain looked weak because he would not look at or speak directly to Senator Obama. By contrast, Senator Obama did this often to Senator McCain.
I have little faith in him standing up to folks that need to be opposed if he won't even do it well against the fellow he is running against in a polite debate.
Senator Obama won on more levels than one.

I tend to discount style.
In that vein, I thought McCain chased Obama all over the map last night. I was surprised to see it, but that was my impression.
If you ignore what you saw, and read the transcript, I believe the impression becomes even clearer.

I spent a year in Spain and other countries recently - you know, I believe it is important to understand how others view us. We still have an opportunity not to upset EVERY country so much that they all want to destroy us. McCain wants to go to war with Spain b/c they don't agree with us??? They are the most fun loving country anywhere and McCain thinks we should push sanctions against them? WHY?? Great, let's start terrorists in that country too. Way to go McMuffin. You are so brilliant.

When Obama kept stating that he agreed with Senator McCain at least 8 times, it had nothing to do with being bi-partisan - it showed a distinct lack of self-confidence. He really looked nervous and out of his element.

Why did you not report the Memphis paper's national poll that showed the debate a near even draw with Obama up by 1%? Are you unwilling to run a poll by a local newspaper conducted by a national firm? Or do you not like anything "southern?"

Honestly, this is a pretty (horribly?) flawed analysis of 'what/why do they think'. This is way too beltway even for politico, and shows how out of touch most District reporting is. People wanted to see if Obama was presidential - and he was. Managing the expectations game is largely managing the media coverage.
And, McCain wasn't trying to 'expose' Obama as out of his depth, he wanted to create the perception that he was out of his league. It failed - except with Ben Smith. The connotation used here is key.
Do these two paragraphs qualify as reporting? If so, I want a check. Ben doesn't deserve one. Honestly, do you pay him for the weak crap he writes?

Personally, I think both candidates did a fine job. I do think that Obama won it though. He raised some interesting points. He also was on track with what he wants to do for America. Some of the media wanted him to really be a pain in the butt about all of McCain and Bush's pitfalls. I think he did great without being really negative. Perhaps next time, he can give a lament. The average working class got the picture loud and clear that he cared about them. He gave plenty of examples. I think that would be great for Obama to meet with our enemy leaders. He doesn't need rediculous pre-conditions. Haven't you ever heard of conference calls, and video. They do it on media channels all the time. You can't make true peace in this world like that. I loved the way he said, "Pakistan". The a's were ah's . When he was going to Columbia University, he roomed with a guy from Pakistan. He would have lots to talk about diplomatically meeting with middle East leaders. It's all about change, and keeping our country safe. He would militarily strike only as a last resort. Great job Barack. !! McCain was good too, but new fresh ideas are needed. McCain lied when he said Obama would pull troops out no matter what the ground conditions were. Obama explained that early in the debate.
He wants to balance the budget, and tax only the rich. We can't have change without some kind of taxes. Sorry. To not do so, will leave us continually in a financial crisis. The rich companies can adjust their salaries every year, that way you can have a increased minimum wage for the poor people. There would be no layoffs. If you are rich and well off, you most likely will vote for McCain. If it wasn't for the Democrats there wouldn't be a middle class. The financial crisis was a result of tax breaks and greed. It goes into their fancy bonuses. They never create jobs, they just make fat cat bonuses. Sorry, McCain lost.

I dont know what debate the rest of you people were looking at but from a person who takes classes on debate and oral argument. Obama was clearly the better debater. 1) Like I am currently doing he gave road maps of where he was going with his argument. 2) He had a over arching theme that he continued to go to, which was we must consider other things like the economy, health care, and education when considering national security. 3) He was very firm and specific with most of his answers and people like that. Now I will explain what McCain must work on: 1) Humor is a good thing some times, but other times it makes you look arrogant and unsure of yourself. 2) He has to control his temper, there was one point where McCain yelled " Come On". Showing your anger and frustration in a debate is always bad. And 3)McCain many times didn't answer the question, or had some elaborate story to answer the question and many times he lost his audience by the time he got to the point. In conclusion, Obama showed that he has very good oral argument skills and McCain showed his weaknesses. On these points Obama was the better debater.

I was expecting a much more powerful performance from Obama. I was really surprised by the tense look in his face and the tight lips. He just didn't look like his relaxed self. He was way too defensive.

I find it funny that the Republicans have a problem with the scientific polls done by CBS News/Knowledge Networks and CNN/Opinion Research, as those are pretty mainstream pollsters.
Apparently, they deny the science of polling, too... at least when it doesn't agree with their "facts".
Perhaps they think that Opinion Research was wrong a few weeks back, when it put McCain up in Virginia and North Carolina?!

The bottom line is this is just one debate. I do think Obama will get a few per cent bump from it and it could go the other way in the next one. The smell of fear from the McCain camp from the comments in here is absolutely hilarious though.

CBS stacked their room with Obama supporters and then stupidly didn't tell the reporter. The first supposed "independent" "undecided" guy he interviewed instantly admitted he was for Obama!!! Ooops, game over.
I'm sure at CNN the stacking efforts were the same. They have databases of Obama supporters they poll to get whatever skewed results they want.
That's why it's different on the web, DESPITE Obama's admitted boilerrooms of PAID online shills.
McCain decimated Obama. And his shiny greasy makeup.
And on the issues? Puh-leaze...

Someone on 'Hardball' tonight stated that Obama can't form a bond with the middle class - he's too elitist and appears he's above them. The person went on to say that what Obama should do is spend a whole day in an unemployment line and get some feedback from real people...great statement and so true.

Obama always lacks his own narrative about the economy, foreign policy, energy policy, etc.. That is why he is always on the defensive. I'm yet to see him dictate the terms of any debate. That is very troubling to me. He needs to dominate and set the tone of these things, you know. For example, in a night like tonight, to come absolutely unprepared about what changes he is going to make to his economic plan in light of the Wall Street meltdown is just beyond me. And that is why he handed down his strong suit, the economy, to, all of people, John I don't understand the economy McCain. It's just unbelievable. Had it not for his unusually strong performance on the foreign policy front, he would have his ass handed down to him. I don't care if the voters or anyone else thinks he won the debate. As far as informed people are concerned, he lost the debate. And if he continues like this, he should lose the election. He needs to learn how to carry on anecdotal conversation--the skill that separates Lincoln, Reagan, Clinton, etc from other politicians. Tonight, McCain beat him in that front, despite all his good ideas and facts. O please learn how to be conversant. And please don't get bogged down in the details while trying to vindicate yourself. That is a trap your opponent lays down for you to walk straight in and to completely throw you off your game. Debates are not the place for clarifying on wild accusations; they are the place to make your own accusations and keep your opponent on the defensive. hrrrrrrrrrrrr

Guess what?????
I saw the program on CNN last weekend with the 5 Secretaries of State and I distictly remember hearing both Kissinger and Colin Powell say that you CAN talk to your enemies with no pre-conditions...it must be up on Utube by now, even though tonite Kissinger has now come out and said McCain is right! A republican helping another...how sweet! But that IS what Kissinger said last weekend on a CNN report. Obama looked and acted much more presidential than McCain, considering McCain is supposed to be the expert on foreign policy I thought Obama was suprisingly brilliant on foreign policy and he just got my vote...me, a white, catholic, blue collar woman over 45!!! Sorry, McCain!!!

Obama is clearly the superior candidate. This will be the eighth time I've voted for a president. Obama is the finest candidate - by far - of any who've run for the office in those 28 years. Obama speaks with wisdom and carries himself with the dignity. He proposes that America and Americans do the same.

Also, those on this Blog that are claiming that Obama misquoted Kissinger, CNN factCheck has set the record straight and in a forum with the past five Secretaries of State, He Stated that the U.S. should meet with Iran without pre-conditions. Therefore, John McCain doesn't know his friend as well as he thought.

Conservatives should check Fox News because a group of Fox commentators and other conservative writers blogging for Fox either called it a toss-up or gave an edge to Obama by a tiny bit. Now, I'm not suggesting Fox has anything dialed, but I'd imagine the conservatives might see it otherwise. Unless it isn't convenient. Or it is easier to simply act like children and call names.

Without getting into the stagecraft and body language and all that, and just listening to what the 2 had to say, McCain actually did not say much of interest, depending mainly on attitude, slogans, other such tactics. Obama, on the other hand actually spoke in completet sentences and developed his ideas clearly and in depth.
For me, this was no contest. When I listen to the pundits and comments here, I feel like must be from another planet...
PS. For those of you who haven't figured it out yet, I am a die-hard Obama supporter. Totally objective....

No, Obama did not hold his own. His facial expressions told the whole story. And he became frustrated because, try as he might, he could not provoke McCain to anger. Did you notice how he called Sen. McCain "John" in the early part of the debate? That was disrespectful. McCain referred to Obama as Senator Obama. Later in the debate, after Obama figured out he couldn't rattle McCain, he referred to him as Senator McCain. Obama doesn't have a clue, and he demostrated that Friday night. Biden was right about Obama. And so was Hillary. Suck it up, liberals. You're betting on a nag.

Conservatives should check Fox News because a group of Fox commentators and other conservative writers blogging for Fox either called it a toss-up or gave an edge to Obama by a tiny bit. Now, I'm not suggesting Fox has anything dialed, but I'd imagine the conservatives might see it otherwise. Unless it isn't convenient. Or it is easier to simply act like children and call names.

Am I the only one who thinks that McCain was trying to set a trap for Obama by twice mentioning "Miss Congeniality"? He was hoping that Obama would make some snarky comment about Sarah Palin so that the post-debate spinners could paint him as sexist. Obama was way too smart to fall for it and it just made McCain seem strange for mentioning it twice.

Jen,
You are a twit. Senator Obama cam from a POOR family. Single Mother, Barack had to WORK FOR EVERYTHING he got. No Rich Daddy to get him in the Military (even though McCain did so poorly in College). I am SO sick of people saying Barack is not a common man, It is such an empty statement. You all want him to be from the hood ?? With anger and an attitude. You are TOOO much. I am sure if YOU had a child, who would YOU want him or her to look up too ? Someone who work and EARNED EVERYTHING he has or someone who was given it ? Please, Use your brains people ! Each year we claim we what someone new, with insights and a new energy. And when someone comes around, we say is not connecting with the common man. So Stupid ! He connects, he would not be where he is if i didn't connect.

McCain's refusal to even look at Obama throughout the debate, combined with his repeatedly saying "He doesn't understand", seemed disrespectful at best and demeaningly racist at worst. As if the ignorant black man wasn't worthy of even being acknowledged and it pained McCain to even be on the same stage with such an inferior.

I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY ANYONE WOULD WANT TO ELECT A MAN WITH ONLY TWO YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN OFFICE. WE HAVE HAD EIGHT YEARS OF A MAN WITH LITTLE EXPERIENCE AS A LEADER. WE NEED A MAN WITH EXPERIENCE TO LEAD OUR COUNTRY OUT OF THE SAD MESS THAT BUSH HAS MADE OF OUR COUNTRY. OF COURSE IT IS NOT JUST THE REPULICANS THAT ARE TO BLAME, THE DEMOCRATICS ARE ALSO TO BLAME FOR THIS MESS.

BHO didn't scare anyone, but I think Cain really showed his knowledge over BHO. I'm glad he's from Harvard and didn't actually go to a state school. People from Harvard don't relate with the middle class and millitary folks. Lawyers don't have the best rep either.

MsCiara: You're directing your anger at the wrong person. Blame the commentator on Hardball. I agree with the commentator's statements that John McCain has been through some serious hardships but still has humility and grace which enables him to have more of a bond with the public - Obama just doesn't have those traits - he's too arrogant.

obama won hands down.
mccain too old and not presidential. obama calm and presidential,even after the debate, tha obamas walked to the mccains and greeted them. showing them it wasn't a fight, but a friendly debate. good maners.
go go go go obama/biden till you reach the whitehouse. chnge is coming to america. old politics out of the window. better country, better economic and better investment. mccain/palin same old bush policy.

Did you guys hear that Obama tried to take over the meeting yesterday at the White House and totally bungled it? He started ripping the House Republican plan even though he never read it. Pelosi and the other dems tried to give Obama a chance to lead, yet he failed again.

Focus groups are not scientific--neither is CNN's Soledad O'Bryan's hair flip--however, the fabulous world of journalism, which never equals the mundane world of statistics--whether in style or substance--is incredibly theatrical. Many of us will recount, with great disdain, how the media acted like tiny little children having a bedtime story read to them while the American people continued to strive for answers to their most important questions.

I think perhaps so many in the press felt McCain won because they know him so well. So when he did his name dropping thing, they all filled in the blanks and knew that there was a lot of experience reflected in those anecdotes. However, to many average voters, it just sounded like an old man dropping names. To me McCain did not think he needed to show his expertise because we were all just supposed to know it. Actually, he would have served himself better by taking the time to explain himself in complete sentences filled with substance, not just slogans and name dropping without any real details.
It is the details that made me feel Obama had a grasp of the issues, and that was his mission tonight, to prove he had a grasp of the issues.
A little less arrogance from McCain would go a long way...

I think obama won because Mccain seemed too moody and could not find the guts to look Obama in the eye when he said bad things about him. Obama had the guts to face Mccain when he told him all the things he got wrong in Iraq. Mccain tried to bail from the debait and then came back like a whipped dog only to be mean spirited with out having the guts to face the man he was attacking.

Watched it twice. Second time I thought mcCain won on both issues.
There is not question that Obama does not have experience. Because of his lack of experience he has to do more then just win the debate - he has to command it from start to finish. After all, it is just talk; that's the easy part.
We don't need 4 more years of call-me-if-you-need-me leadership. McCain left and went back to Washington. Obama went to his hotel room.

I live in Arizona and I can tell you Arizona is ****ED he mentioned us in the debate!! We didn't vote for him in the primaries so what does that tell the rest of the country!! We HATE him!! He hasn't done anything for Arizona but more for him getting to president. He doesn't speak for us. Obama CLEARLY won this debate and McCain is SO disrespectful and a coward for not looking at Obama once!!! Piece of ****!

Even the FOX news poll says Obama won the debate. 54% to 46%. Basically,McCain needed to grab momentum from Obama and he didn't do it. By next week look for Obama's lead to widen due to independents and women coming over to Obama!!

Obama slaughtered McCain because he was cool, sharp, and presidential. McCain was agitated, mean, and out of touch. He smelled like a senator. This isn't even close.
I saw a strong president and a dangerous old fool. Any voter who's undecided is an idiot.

I also watched the program with ex-secretary of states. Those of you who have commented otherwise, clearly are just listening to your repub news machines and not THINKING on your own. I saw all of them, ALL OF THEM, agree to meet with foreign heads of state. Kissinger is a repub for McCain and just wants to see him win. If you are a doubter, GO SEE THE INTERVIEWS. This is fact. Nice try, repubs. But YOUR LIES ARE CAUGHT by the fact that in this day and age, we can video and REPLAY what is said.
BTW - did anyone see Hardball where they called a senior adviser to McCain on a point and she asked that the commentator replay what McCain said earlier in the week?? She looked like a moron when they did and SHE WAS LYING. She never thought they would be able to REPLAY the message. What a stupid move. Proven liars, over and over again.

BBC declared McCain the winner - or did you say sinner? Ha - Repubs will even lie in BLOGS hoping that it will raise their chance of winning. BBC said their polls showed Obama won. Nice try - but no one who reads these really cares what any of you say.

Apparently, Obama has already been called on his comment about Kissinger: Henry Kissinger believes Barack Obama misstated his views on diplomacy with US adversaries and is not happy about being mischaracterized. He says: "Senator McCain is right. I would not recommend the next President of the United States engage in talks with Iran at the Presidential level. My views on this issue are entirely compatible with the views of my friend Senator John McCain. We do not agree on everything, but we do agree that any negotiations with Iran must be geared to reality."

I don't really know who won the debates. However, I was watching to see if Obama could prove to be a strong leader in command - and from this first debate, he proved that to me (and the other 5 undecided voters). We'll continue to watch, but we're now leaning toward Obama. I'm just not sure how anyone could walk away from this debate feeling like one person did so much better than the other. They seemed pretty equal. It all boiled down to whose policies you agree with...

I analyzed the words and sentences which Obama, McCain and?why not??Lehrer used in the debate. Have a look at the bubble graph (no. of words and length of sentences and words). I also made "word clouds." Interesting! Go to my WordFaceOff.blogspot.com blog to view.

The FOX focus group, gave it to OBAMA. The CNN focus group gave it to OBAMA. And the scientific CNN and CBS poll gave it to OBAMA. The punditry in total give it OBAMA. Obama also wins with those pundits that call it a tie because this was McCain's truff. Therefore, OBAMA WINS, hands down.

Obama clearly won that debate, Joghn McCane would not even look at Obama. John was the more experienced and therefore should have knocked Obama out of the park, but he didn't. Obama handled McCane with ease. Obama's body language is a pillar of confidence

I am really screw, because the only TV channel news in this european installation is CNN/CBS, who already have proclamed OBAMA as their president. I turned the channel off due that the polls performed within seconds of the debate's end was 52% for Obama and 37% Maccaine of course!. Obviously, all the people polled was democratas. I wish would be equally representation of opinions. In my opinion, Obama did disrespect Macaine calling him jonh, but he also misspronounced Macaine's name calling him Jim in one instance. which I found it amazing that no one has said anything about this bo..boo.

I think its really hilarious to see all the Mcsham right wingers blowing alot of air at the frustration for the simple fact that hopalong cassidy is simply lacking substance. Its ok right wingers, let me get you a kleenex. You guys just don't get it! All your smears may have worked for the past 8 years and still trying to use the same today. Just like the same politics, and your own party are divided than ever over a failed administration and america won't stand for it anymore! Its ok though, time to clean the mess you caused on our economy, job loss, healthcare, medicare, etc... Oh and the reasons im hearing for the crisis, stated by some that its homeowners fault defaulting on mortgages! Have you ever thought the reason for defaulting maybe due to becoming unemployed by their employers, so the job could be shipped overseas. Reality is that there is no regulation in dealing with the corporate crooks. You republicans just dont get it, more of the same!!!!!